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D is for Dominican Republic

April 4, 2015 By Claire Annette Noland 10 Comments

Dom Rep cover

The Best Gift of All: The Legend of La Vieja Belen

A bilingual picture book
Written by Julia Alvarez (author) and Ruddy Nunez (illustrator)
Translated by Rhina Espaillat
dom rep 2

For those who try to teach diversity by sharing customs, holidays and traditions to children, The Best Gift of All: The Legend of La Vieja Belen is a welcome addition.

La Vieja Belen is an old woman from the Dominican Republic who brings gifts to poor children on the Sunday after the Feast of the Three Kings.  Tradition says that the Vieja Belen keeps busy cleaning and serving guests. When the Three Kings stop at her house, she feeds them traditional foods including empanadas, fruit, and tamales. The story concludes with the acknowledgement that the best gift of all is the gift of time which is such an important concept in this age of consumerism.dom rep 3

I am always on the lookout for bilingual books and the rhyming text in The Best Gift of All: The Legend of La Vieja Belen works when read aloud in both Spanish and English. The soft illustrations portray an authentic home in the Dominican Republic.

Author Julia Alvarez (one of my favorite authors) shares how the tradition of La Vieja Belen is becoming overshadowed by commercialism and why she set out to write this book here.

You might also enjoy this youtube video showing the celebration of La Vieja Belen in the Dominican Republic.

If you are participating in my Read Around the World Challenge, La Vieja Belen can be used in a number of categories. And yes, you can use a book more than once.

Filed Under: Books, Celebrate, Christmas Books, Field Trips, Multicultural Children's Books, Places Tagged With: a to z blog challenge, Bilingual Christmas stories, children's books set in the Dominican Republic, Julia Alvarez, Read Around the World Kids' Book Challenge, Ruddy Nunez, The Best Gift of All; The Legend of La Vieja Belen

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. betty says

    April 4, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    Visiting from A/Z. Cute theme you have. I didn’t realize they had books that were bilingual, interesting concept! This does sound like a cute story to emphasize the gift of time.

    Enjoy the rest of the challenge!

    betty
    betty recently posted…DogMy Profile

    Reply
  2. TF Walsh says

    April 5, 2015 at 6:11 am

    Wonderful post, and yes agree, bilingual books are wonderful:.
    TF Walsh recently posted…A to Z Challenge – D is for DeadMy Profile

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 6, 2015 at 4:57 am

      Thanks for stopping by. I’m always on the lookout for bilingual books.

      Reply
  3. Cait says

    April 5, 2015 at 9:39 am

    I love those bilingual picture books. They are such a good idea for children, regardless of whether they are bilingual or not. 🙂
    Cait recently posted…Weekly Rundown: Purchasing a PandaMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Susanne Matthews says

    April 5, 2015 at 11:36 am

    I managed to drop by this morning. Great posts. The Feast of the Three Kings is very popular in Spanish culture. When I was a child, my grandparents (French Canadian) always celebrated this day as the end of the Christmas season–it came with a cake in which she’d wrap coins. Loved getting pennies in mt food. If I got a nickel, that was a real treat. Thanks for the memory nudge.

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 6, 2015 at 4:48 am

      Hi Susanne,
      I think The Feast of the Three kings is a wonderful holiday. Where I live, it is celebrated in a big way by the Portugese community. Thanksfor stopping by.

      Reply
  5. karenjonesgowen says

    April 5, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    What a wonderful theme for a challenge– (wow I love this script the comments show up as, I could write like this all day!!) I visited the Dominican Republic once although in a resort, and outside the resort it seemed like a very poor and backward nation. I’d like to read this book.
    karenjonesgowen recently posted…“Just Sittin’ by the DOCK of the bay, watchin’ the tide come in”My Profile

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 6, 2015 at 4:56 am

      Hi Karen,
      Thanks for stopping by. (I love the script, too – thanks!) I have never been to the DR but my husband has been doing some micro-financing with an international aid group 2 of my daughters have worked there so they saw a very different side of the country.I’m hoping to get there eventually.

      Reply
  6. evelyneholingue says

    April 6, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Interesting book for me as you know that we also celebrate the Three Kings in France. I agree that learning another culture goes with the knowledge of the rituals and celebrations. The connection with Youtube kept failing but hopefully I’ll be able to see it another time. Good luck with the challenge, Claire. Glad we both found our niche and are still on. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 9, 2015 at 9:01 pm

      I still love your story in Ladybug about the King Cake. I actually saw a King Cake mix at cost + the other day.

      Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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